Slanted language

June 26, 2007

By William E. Richardson

“However, when they ... compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding and behave unwisely” (2 Corinthians 10:12, Amplified).

It’s begun: the deluge of words, rhetoric, and well-phrased sound bites. Political candidates are promoting their best aspects against less-flattering images of their opponents. America wants to understand the truth about the candidates. But many voters can’t see clearly past all the slanted language. Like it or not, it’s become part of the political process.

Have you also noticed some Christians, not campaigning for any office, have mastered the double-edged sword of slanted language? The Bible says plenty about how we as God’s followers should use our words, but never advocates office-seeker phraseology.

Yet, it happens every day. We frame our own faults in the kindest terms while describing others through words bloated with exaggeration.

Speaking of ourselves, we may say, “I’m sometimes late.” Speaking of others, we resort to, “He’s never on time,” or “She’ll be late to her own funeral.”

Speaking of ourselves, we’ll say, “I’m starting to forget things.” Not as kind to others, we say, “She’s absentminded,” or “He’d forget his head if it wasn’t connected.”

Speaking of ourselves, we’ll say “I like to eat.” About someone else, we’ll say, “He’s a pig!” or “She eats like a horse.”

Why do Christians fall into campaign-speech patterns? We don’t have to. We aren’t racing anyone else to Election Day. Slanting our language to make someone else look worse actually doesn’t make us look better.

Some, wanting to understand true Christianity, are unable because of Christians slanting their language with unwise comparisons. Our self-promotion while demoting others just gets in the way.

The opposite of slanted language is honesty. No comparisons. Facts without embellishment. It’s being kinder to others while being truthful about ourselves.

Christians do have a goal to reach, but it’s not approval at the ballot box. A Christian’s goal is the image of Jesus. It doesn’t come by comparing ourselves with others. We get there by seeing how short we fall when compared to Jesus, then drawing closer to Him to be more like Him.

Campaigning more for Jesus in our words and actions and less for self should help us drop the political talk and be kinder toward others when we speak. God would vote for that.

William E. Richardson is senior pastor of Afton (Iowa) Assembly of God.